Linux Unified Kernel

Linux Unified Kernel 0.2.4 released

On May 22nd, 2009, Linux Unified Kernel project development team officially issued Unified Kernel 0.2.4. This version ports the file managment functions into kernel with one interface, and fixes bugs of registry managment in the previous one. With the improvement, applications will perform better on Linux Unified Kernel than on Wine. And the .rpm and .deb installation files are provided in the new release to save the installing time and storage space.

In the future the following will be added to Linux Unified Kernel:

o Ext4 file system support

o SMP support

o File System Integration.

o Bug Fix for Pthread TLS.

o Windows Application Testbed.

o Various system call functions on the Windows syscall interface.

o The WDM device driver framework.

o The Windows DPC mechanism.

o Exported kernel functions defined by Windows DDK.

Linux Unified Kernel (also known as LUK or Longene) is a computer operating system kernel intended to be binary-compatible with application software and device drivers made for Microsoft Windows and Linux.

The LUK project aims to add all Windows kernel mechanisms into the Linux kernel, including Process management, Thread management, Object management, virtual memory management, Synchronization, System calls (Syscall), Windows Registry, WDM (Device driver framework), Windows DPC mechanism, etc., to form a new kernel. Thus, the new kernel allows both Linux and Windows applications and device drivers to work directly without virtualization or emulation.

But LUK is not simply an accumulation of the two kernels. In order to prevent LUK from becoming bloated, if a function has been completed in the ReactOS kernel, and it can also be achieved using the Linux kernel (ReactOS/Wine/NDISwrapper code as a reference if they have implemented the function), then LUK prefers to use the latter.

LUK has two sets of syscalls and their corresponding syscall tables: a Windows syscall set and a Linux syscall set. Windows applications call the syscall table via software interrupt "int 0x2e" to make a system call. Linux applications call syscall table via "int 0x80".

The LUK project does not develop the Windows and the Linux userland libraries. Those libraries are offered by the Wine (or Microsoft Windows/ReactOS) project and the Linux project.

The product of the LUK project is patches for the Linux kernel. The LUK developers expect those patches to eventually merge into the Linux kernel main tree. So that the developers who are accomplisheded in working for Windows platform will develope the applications and device drivers for linux platform or port their products to linux platform with a low cost. They and the linux users will benefit from the LUK project directly.

LUK is primarily written in the C programming language, and is licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License. Although the project is in the alpha development stage as of 2009, many Windows programs already work well.

The version 0.2.4 of LUK source and .rpm and deb install packs are available from the following locations:

http://www.longene.org/en/download.php

The LUK official website: http://www.longene.org/en/

You will learn more about LUK on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_Unified_Kernel

Polluting Linux kernel with MS stuff? I think Linux doesn't need that and should stand on its own and prove itself against others!

Re: :/

LUK uses linux kernel stuffs to make a windiws box that can run the win32 apps. it try to implement a windows system and the system can run the linux apps also. so its effect likes Reactos which is an opensouce windows OS.

--linooxlee

Re: Re: :/

You do realize that no matter what, you'll always be one step behind real Windows. Neither ReactOS (which has an extremely slow development) nor Wine provide full complete Windows replacement and their implementation is either totally absent in some areas or incomplete and always one step or more behind real Windows.

I switched from Windows to Linux for very good reasons which I won't explain now as this comment space is far too small for this, yet you guys now try to bring Windows stuff into Linux - the very thing I dislike/was running away from. You want to make Linux great? How about putting your precious hours into Linux usability improvements and the like instead of polluting it with Windows? If I need to use native Windows APIs/calls and such, I'll use the native OS which provides them, and that is Windows. Also how are you dealing with the potential patent cloud that's hanging above ReactOS?

> polluting it with Windows? If I need to use native Windows APIs/calls and such, I'll use the native OS which provides them, and that is Windows.
How come you are using non-native OS (Linux-based), when you can use real, native UNIX?

> Also how are you dealing with the potential patent cloud that's hanging above ReactOS?
Last time I heard Linux kernel violates how much MS's patents? Over 100, if I don't mistake?

Re: Re: Re: Re: :/

wow, 88 developers have contributed to ReactOS? How many have contributed to, say, PostgreSQL or MySQL or the Linux, BSD or Solaris kernels? Far more I'd say

And how do you know (just because I mention that I use Linux) I don't use UNIX?? I have here both openSolaris and PC-BSD running, alongside Linux

Right, last time you checked, Linux violates 100 or so patents, lets just throw a bit more into it by porting Windows APIs/calls and integrating them into the Linux kernel. Also, do you have any proof that Linux violates any such patents? Last time I checked, even MS didn't provide any proof, besides some vocal claims. I hope LUK dies a slow death, as it deserves nothing else

Re: Re: Re: :/

LUK is a replacement of ms windows. Many Chinese are too poor to buy ms windows, you know. Yes, there are some patent issues, but the the intellectual property rights is not the same in different countries. LUK can be assure not running into the patent traps in China.

--linooxlee

What about NORMAL things?

Windows is windows, linux is something else in my view, they should not be mixed like this project tries to. All that linux needs is developers and some lobby, not emulation. Wine stopped alot of people working because it simply existed (see picasa). They better work rewriting gimp,openoffice, speedup and enhace opengl, not emulation (another one).

How do you like Plasma 5? The best KDE Desktop ever. Definitely a nice improvement. Not decided yet. Haven't tried it yet. I do not like some of the changes. KDE is taking the wrong way. I am still sticking with KDE 3.5. I have no opinion, but wanted to vote anyway.

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